The BNP-led 19-party alliance is likely to turn into a 20-party political platform, as a faction of Dilip Barua-led Samyabadi Dal has decided to join the alliance. The announcement in this regard will come soon, sources said. BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Wednesday night held a meeting with the top leaders of the 19-party alliance to take decision in this regard alongside with discussing the issue of the next course of action. Held at her Gulshan office in the city, the meeting began at about 9:00 pm and it was continuing till filing the report at about 10:00 pm. The meeting sources said that the meeting was also discussed the country’s latest political situation, including recent remark against Ziaur Rahman made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Gulshan office sources said that a five-member delegation led by acting General Secretary of Samyabadi Dal Sayeed Ahmed met Khaleda Zia on Tuesday and took the decision of joining the BNP-led alliance. Sayeed Ahmed admitted the matter. The breakaway faction of the Samyabadi Dal asked Dilip Barua to resign from the cabinet. The rebels expelled him from the party later and now decided to join the BNP-led alliance. The faction of Dilip Barua is an ally of the 14-party grand alliance. Dilip Barua was Industries Minister in the Awami league-led 14-party grand alliance government. Meanwhile, silent distraction is prevailing in some of the alliance partners due to the decision of the BNP chairperson to include the Samyabadi Dal under the fold. They said that the 19-party alliance is considered as mainly an alliance of right wing parties, but the Samyabadi Dal is a leftist party. It won’t be wise decision to incorporate the party under the fold, they said.When asked, Advocate Abdul Mobin, president of Bangladesh Islamic Party, on Wednesday evening told The New Nation that they heard that that news that Samyabadi Dal is going to joint their alliance. Abdul Mobin, however, said that the 19-party alliance should be strengthened and made more meaningful. The alliance has to give importance on the nationalist and Islamic forces, he said. On April 18 in 2012, the-then 4-party alliance turned into 18-party alliance, which is mainly an alliance of right wing parties including Jamaat-e-Islami. The alliance turned into a 19-party alliance later, as the Jatiya Party-faction, led by Kazi Zafar Ahmed, joined the alliance on January 25 this year. On March 31, Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP-Bhashani) cut off ties with the BNP-led alliance. But, a faction of the party maintained relation with the 19-party alliance. Now the members of the 18-party alliance include Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and Jatiya Party (Zafar), Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Liberal Democratic Party, Islami Oikya Jote, Khelafat Majlish, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, National People’s Party (NPP), Bangladesh NAP, NAP Bhashani, National Democratic Party, Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh Islamic Party, Democratic League, Jamiat-e-Olama-e-Islam Bangladesh and Bangladesh People’s League.
